Who is Kara Young’s father? All about her family as actress becomes first black performer to win Tony award in two consecutive years

Kara Young made history on Sunday when she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Purpose, becoming the first black performer to win two consecutive Tony Awards. Kara Young, the daughter of Klay Young, who previously worked at the Rainbow Room at the Rockefeller Center in New York, won her first Tony Award last year for her role in the Broadway production of Purlie Victorious.

Kara Young was first nominated in 2022 for her role as Letita in the Tony Award-nominated play, Clyde's, followed by her 2023 nomination for her role in the Cost of Living. In 2024, Young was once again nominated, this time for her portrayal of Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins, and went on to win her first Tony Award. Her nomination and eventual win on Sunday for her role as Aziza also marked her fourth consecutive Tony nomination.

More about Kara Young's family, as she scripts Tony Award history

Kara Young and her sibling grew up in Harlem, New York, and were raised by their parents who emigrated from Belize. Her father, Klay Young, worked at the 30 Rockefeller Plaza, a location that hosts the Tony Award Nominee Luncheon each year. He previously joined the Rainbow Room as a server and was later promoted to the role of a captain.

In 2022, Klay Young, who had worked at the Rockefeller Center for more than thirty years, received a standing ovation when he was introduced at the same luncheon that was attended by his daughter, Kara Young, who was then nominated for her first Tony Award. In a 2025 interview with the Rockefeller Center Magazine, the father-daughter duo, who share a close bond, reflected on their most cherished Tony Award moment. Kara Young said:

"That magic I talk about with my dad — it was all there that day, last year. And it wasn’t just because I won for “Purlie Victorious.” That moment was about legacy — about resurrecting the artistry of Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and everything they gave to American theater. It also happened to be Father’s Day. It was my third nomination, and my dad had been my date every time. And then, on Father’s Day, I win a Tony."

In honor of the special moment, she posted a picture with her father from the luncheon, writing,

"This is my dad. Klay Young. Today was the luncheon for the Tony's at the Rainbow Room. My dad has worked at the Rainbow Room for 30 years. Today he worked the Tony's Luncheon for the umpteenth time... This time he took care of me🥲. Thank you Emilio Sosa for acknowledging my father today. He got a Standing Ovation from the entire room and it really was the most magical moment for both of us. A real NY moment."

Klay Young, who affectionately calls his daughter, "Pookie," added more about how Kara discovered her passion:

"She’s always loved the stage. At a very, very young age, there was a dance troupe in Harlem, and she said they were moving too slow for her age."

In 2023, Klay Young attended his daughter's second Tony nomination luncheon, where he was honored with an award that read "Best Dad of a Tony Nominee."

In another interview with The New York Times, Kara Young added that she lives close to her parents, and visits them on Sundays for a family dinner. She said,

"My father makes really great Thai food, fantastic Indian food, and, of course, traditional Belizean food. We get to taste a little bit of his hospitality education through his meals."

According to New York Times, her mother, Marie Young, on the other hand keeps a low profile away from the spotlight and works as a health administrator at Bellevue hospital in New York.

In her acceptance speech on Sunday, Kara Young highlighted the importance of diversity, saying,

"I truly feel like we are so divided out here in the world that we can literally sit in the theater and nothing else matters but the story and our heartbeats and our listening ears, or eyes, for those who need access, access to that. I feel incredibly grateful and overwhelming amount of gratitude. Diversity literally equals humanity.”

Purpose, which was nominated for six Tony Awards, also won the Best Play on Sunday. According to Broadway Buzz, Kara Young was nominated alongside Fina Strazza, Marjan Neshat, Tala Ashe, Jessica Hecht, and is next set to appear in The Whoopi Monologues in 2026.

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